Falcon Ecoboost vs EcoLPI - the daily proposition

[Franco Cozzo]

Good morning ladies, gentlemen, spaceships, unicorns and ASIO

Considering replacing my tired LV TDCI Focus with either an Ecoboost Falcon sedan or an EcoLPI Falcon Ute, the Focus is still mechanically OK but body wise it's got air leaks from the door seals and the rear quarter windows have been leaking water for a long time now

There's a couple fairly cheap Ecoboost povvo spec Falcon sedans circling the second hand markets around the Eastern seaboard.

At the moment my daily commute is around 110km, 90% country highway, 10% suburban driving, I generally have an average speed of 70km/h across 850km or so between refills, at the moment a refill costs around $65 in diesel, average cost for kilometre works out to around 7.5 cents or there about over the last 5000km I've been tracking costs. Using around 5.3-5.7L/100km consistently in diesel and the car gets a bit of a hard time.

No requirement for a ute but it would come in handy due to cheaper rego costs because I live out with the dinosaurs, if I'm going the LPG route then it would be a ute, also no diff bushes.

Looking at FGII with maximum kilometres of 130,000km on the clock.

Car will do the odd interstate trip once or twice a year but I don't go remote, primarily Melbourne to Adelaide or Melbourne to Sydney.

Tows a 6x4 box trailer fairly often but I doubt this would be a problem for a Falcon.

Pros/Cons of these options, what they're like to live with as a daily and has anyone got real world examples of Ecoboost and EcoLPI Falcon?

Alternatively have also been considering LPG VF Commodore in povvo spec Evoke trim - have a VF SV6 Sportwagon with 3.6L LFX engine pool car at work and it does 8L/100km on my work commute, I think the VF LPG cars are more fuel efficient than the EcoLPI though a deficit of power and torque.

Had considered MD Mondeo Trend or Ambiente but they're around twice the price and I'm suspect on how well it's body would deal with my abusive driving style, towing and our crappy road conditions since the Focus hasn't fared real well over the 211,000km since I've owned it new.